Electric railway.



No. 687,522. Patented Nov. 26, I90l. F. C. ESMOND. ELECTRIC RAILWAY. (Application filed Feb. 21, 1898.)

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No. 687,522. r

F. 0. ESMOND.

ELECTRl-G RAILWAY. (Application fllgd Feb. 21, 1898.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT Curios.

FREDERICK C. ESMOND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE ESMOND ELECTRIC TRACTION COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,522, dated N ovemberz 6, 1901.

Application filed February 21, 1898. Serial No. 671,218. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK ,C. EsMoND, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification. 7

My present invention is in part contained in my prior application, Serial No. 479,416.

My invention relates to electric railways wherein the electrically-propelled vehicle receives current from a series of insulated points or sections along the roadway which are automatically connected successively and temporarily with a well-insulated conductor along the road. 1

It consists in certain devices for securing the aforesaid automatic connections between the said points or sections and the insulated main conductor and maintaining the same during the passage of the vehicle in a reliable and satisfactory manner without liability of the connection being maintained after the Vehicle has passed by reason of any leakagecurrent and without liabilityof failure in establishing the connection by reason of any accidental interruption of the circuit through the vehicle. More particularly, I provide a shunt-circuit from each of the points or sections to the ground or return -conductor, which contains a magnet which operates, when the collector on the vehicle comes in contact with the corresponding point or section, to connect the said point or section directly to the main line through a connectingcircuit containing magnetic devices which op,- erate so long as the main-line current passes through said connecting-circuit to the vehicle both to maintain the direct connection between the point or section and the main line and also to interrupt and hold open the aforesaid shunt-circuit. By this means the shunt-magnets operate in succession to establish the direct connection between the respective points or sections and the main conductor, while after the said connection is once established the magnetic devices therein maintain it during the passage of the vehicle, and at the same time the shunt-circuit is open and remains open until after the vehicle has passed, when it is again closed, ready for the next operation.

'My invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration thereof. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the center of a contact-point and shows, moreover, one form of the operating mechanism for establishing the desired connec- 6o tions. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the particular means to be employed for securing the positive disconnection of the circuits after the vehicle has passed and the means for preventing the accidental retention of the connection by leakagecurrents, and Fig. 4c shows a detail of the supplementary contact on the tip of the collector-bar.

Referring to Fig. 1, A, B, C, and D represent insulated contact-points along the line of the roadway, along which passes the collector-bar E on the vehicle, having a length somewhat greater than the distance between the successive points, so as to connect with them in succession and engage with each one from each contact-point to the armature of a magnet H, thence through a high-resistance magnet G to the rail. Whenever the collector-bar E comes into contact with one of these points-for instance, the point B-the current which the collector-bar is receiving from the preceding point-for instance, point A- passes through the described shunt-circuit and energizes the magnet G, which thereupon attracts its armature K. This armature K is connected at its pivotal point with the 5 main insulated conductor P, the connection being maintained in any desired manneras, for instance, bya sort of knife-blade switch R. The opposite end of armature K comes into contact with plate S, from which a di- :00

rect connection passes to the point B through the low-resistan co magnets H and F. When,

Each of 80 therefore, this circuit is completed, the magnet F will act to hold it closed, while the magnet H will act to open and hold open the shunt circuit above described. Therefore the current will flow from the main line P by the ,direct circuit aforesaid to the collectorbar E and thence to the motor on the vehicle and will continue to flow until the collectorbar passes off from the contactpoint, when the magnets F and II will become deenergized and permit the parts to fall back into their normal condition. In order that the accidental interruption of the circuit may not cause a permanent interruption of currentflow to the motor, I place on the vehicle a motor-generator T, having its motor end connected in a branch circuit between collectorbar E and.the ground, while its generator end is connected to a set of storage batteries V. In the event of any interruption of the circuit between the main conductor P and the motor the storage battery will work backward through the motor-generator P and deliver current both to the propelling-motor and to the switch-magnet, so that the progress of the vehicle will not be interrupted and the connection to the main line will be reestablished at the next contact-point.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the arrangement already described is also prescut; but the shunt-magnet G and the series magnet F have a common core, while on the same core there is a third coil X wound oppositely to coils F and G and included in a separate circuit leading from armature K to a leakage-plate W, which surrounds, but is insulated from the corresponding contactpointfor instance, point A. This leakageplate may be simply an' inclosing box for the contact-point, arranged slightly above the surface of the roadway, as appears in Fig. 4:, but slightly below the level of the point A, so that it can betouched momentarily by a supplementary brush E on the tip of collector-bar E. It will be apparent that with this arrangement any leakage which there may be from the point A to the return-00nd uctor will take place equally from the plate WV, so that the current from the main line P will flow first to the armature K and thence through the differential magnets X and F to pointA and plate W, and these magnets will oppose each other and cause the magnet to drop its armatureK,andthusinterruptthecircuit. In this manner not only does the plate WV form a short circuit around the magnet F, but the current passing to the plate acts to positively oppose the action of magnet F. Moreover, I produce this same differential action each time that the collector-bar leaves a contactpoint by causing the supplementary brush E to strike the plate W. Therefore the described differential action insures the disconnection of the rear contact-point under all those of the former.

the forward one passing beyond the leakage plate before the operation of the switch is required. I I

Referring to Fig. 2, the contact-point A is shown in the form of a hollow dome, within which are inclosed the magnets F and G, the coils of the latter being wound outside of The armature K is in the form of a solenoid-core common to the two coils. The circuit of shunt-coil G is from the dome A to the armature h,and thence through the circuit-breakera to the magnet, and thence by wire at to the ground. The armature h is arranged to be attracted by a projection from the interior of the magnetized dome; but the adjustment is such that the dome will not be magnetized sufficiently to attract armature h by the action of coil G alone. When, however, the coil G attracts or draws up armature K, as described, it will energize the magnet F, as already explained, and the line-current passing through magnet F will be of sufficient strength to completely magnetize the domeAand cause it to attract the armature h, and thereby open the circuit of shunt-magnet G in the manner described. The space inclosed by dome A and the insulating material in which it is set is divided into two compartments by the horizontalinsulating-wall g. In the upper compartment are contained the magnets and in the lower compartment the circuit-closer, which is operated by the armature K by means of a rod passing through a central-opening in the said wall g. The wire leading from the main c011- ductor P passes up through the bottom of the insulating-base and is connected to a metallic frame fin the lower compartment, from which it is conducted, when the switch is closed',through the magnet F to the dome A.

It should also be noted that in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the series magnet has its poles located in such proximity to the switch-contacts that it will serve as a blow-out magnet to extinguish any arc which may be formed upon the separation of the contacts.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric railway having a line conductor and a series of points or sections along the track adapted to be automatically con nected temporarily and successively to the line conduct-or, the combination with one of said points or sections, a switch for connecting the same to the line conductor, a shuntcoil and a series coil, the former operating the said switch and the latter retaining it in its closed position, and two armatures, one connected to the said switch and operated by the shunt-coil only, but retained in position by the series coil and the other connected to a circuit-breaker in the shunt-magnet circuit and operated and retained by the series coil only.

2. In an electric railway having a line conduct-or and a series of points or sections along the track adapted to be automatically connected temporarily and successively to the" line conductor, the combination with one of said points or sections, of a switch for connecting the same to the line conductor, a shunt-coil for operating the said switch, a series coil for maintaining the switch in its closed position and a differential coil for opposing, when energized, the said series coil.

3. In an electric railway having a line conductor and a series of points or sections along the track adapted to be automatically connected temporarily and successively to the line conductor, the combination with one of said' points or sections, of a switch for connecting the same to the line conductor, a shunt-coil for operating the said switch, a series coil for retaining it in its closed position, a diiferential coil for opposing, when energized, the said series coil, a circuit-breaker in the shunt-magnet circuit and means for operating the said circuit-breaker at a point of timesubsequent to the closing of the said switch.

4. In an electric railway having a line conductor and a series of points or sections along the track adapted to be automatically connected temporarily and successively to the line conductor, the combination with one of said points or sections, of a switch for connecting the same to the line conductor, a shunt-coil for operating the switch and a series coil for retaining the said switch located in proximity to the switch-contacts for rupturing any are which may occur at the opening of the switch.

5. In an electric railway having a line conductor and a series of points or sections along the track adapted to be automatically connected temporarily and successively to the line conductor, the combination with one of said points or sections, of a switch for connecting the same to the line conductor, a

shunt-coil for operating the switch, a series coil for retaining it in its closed position, a leakage-plate adjacent to the said point or section and a circuit therefrom to the line conductor shunting the series coil.

6. In an electric railway having a line conductor and a series of points or sections along the track adapted to be automatically connected temporarily and successively to the line conductor, the combination with one of said points or sections, of a switch for connecting the same to the line conductor, a retaining-coil for the said switch, a leakageplate adjacent to the saidpoint or section and a connection from the said leakage-plate to the line conductor shunting the said retaining-coil and including also a differential coil for opposing the said retaining-coil.

'7. In an electric railway having a line conductor and a series of points or sections along the track adapted to be automatically connected temporarily and successively to the line conductor, the combination with one of said points or sections, of a switch for connecting the same to the line conductor, a mag net-coil controlling the said switch, a conduct ing-plate adjacent to the said point or section, a connection therefrom to the line conductor shunting the aforesaid coil and containing also an opposing coil, a contact device on the car for connecting the said point or section with the car and a supplementary contact device for connecting momentarily with the said plate so as to energize the opposing coil.

8. In an electric railway having a line con ductor and a series of points or sections along the track adapted to be automatically con nected temporarily and successively to the line conductor, the combination with one of said points or sections of a surrounding box inclosing the same, but insulated therefrom,- a switch for connecting the point or section to the line conductor and two opposing coils for said switch, one connected between the switch and the contact-point and the other between the switch'and the inclosing box.

9. In an electric railway having a line coriductor and a series of points or sections along the track adapted to be automatically con nected temporarily and successively to the line conductor, the combination with one of said points or sections, of a switch for connecting the same to the line conductor, a solenoid-core connected to the said switch, two coils surrounding the said core, one a shuntcoil for operating the switch and the other a series coil for retaining the switch and means for opening the circuit of the shunt-coil controlled by the operation of the said series coil.

10. In an electric railway having a line con ductor and a series of points or sections along the track adapted to be automatically connected temporarily and successively to the line conductor, the combination with one of said points or sections, of a switch for connecting the same to the line conductor, a solenoid-core connected to the said switch, two coils surrounding the said core, one a shuntcoil for operating the same and the other a series coil for retaining the same and wound inside of the shunt-coil, and means controlled by said solenoid-core to open the circuit of the shunt-coil subsequent to the operation of the said switch.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, before two subscribing witnesses, this 18th day of February, 1898.

FREDERICK C. ESMOND.

Witnesses:

EDWARD M. BENTLEY,

L. F. SHAW. 

